Unix Timestamp Converter
A Unix timestamp counts seconds (or milliseconds) since midnight UTC on January 1, 1970. Enter a timestamp to see its date, or pick a date to get its timestamp.
Timestamp → Date
- UTC
- Sat, 26 Sep 2026 08:45:24 GMT
- Local
- Sat Sep 26 2026 08:45:24 GMT+0000 (Coordinated Universal Time)
- ISO 8601
- 2026-09-26T08:45:24.000Z
Date → Timestamp
Unix timestamp (seconds)
1790412300
What a Unix timestamp is
A Unix timestamp (or 'epoch time') represents a moment as a single number: the seconds elapsed since 00:00:00 UTC on January 1, 1970 — the 'Unix epoch'. It's timezone-independent by design, which is why it's a common way for software systems to store and exchange dates and times without ambiguity.
Some systems and APIs use milliseconds instead of seconds — that's a common source of bugs, since a millisecond timestamp treated as seconds points to a date thousands of years away. Use the unit switch above if your numbers look wildly wrong.
Converting a timestamp to a readable date
This tool shows your entered timestamp in three formats: UTC (the reference timezone with no offset), your browser's local time, and ISO 8601 (a standardized text format widely used in APIs and logs, like 2024-01-15T14:30:00.000Z).
Frequently asked questions
- What is a Unix timestamp?
- The number of seconds (sometimes milliseconds) that have passed since midnight UTC on January 1, 1970, known as the Unix epoch. It's a compact, timezone-independent way to represent a specific moment in time.
- Why is my converted date off by exactly 1,000 years or showing an invalid date?
- You likely have the unit wrong — a millisecond timestamp interpreted as seconds (or vice versa) points to a wildly different date. Try switching the Seconds/Milliseconds toggle above.
- Does the date-to-timestamp conversion use my timezone?
- Yes — the date and time you enter is treated as your browser's local time, then converted to the equivalent Unix timestamp (which is always timezone-independent).